Canon has scheduled a presentation for September 14, all but confirming widespread rumors that the much-anticipated EOS R3 is about to be unveiled.
News recently broke that Viltrox, a brand known for their affordable lenses, has stopped manufacturing for the Canon RF mount after rumors that Canon had asked them to pull their products. Canon recently confirmed that news, and it certainly raises questions about the future of third-party lenses for their mirrorless cameras.
A few weeks ago, an intriguing “Coming Soon” tweet popped up in my Twitter feed, teasing the announcement of a new Rolleiflex digital TLR. I gave the tweet a like and followed the account since the idea of a twin lens digital camera sounded interesting, although strange, and thought little of it until the account issued another tweet titled “My Apology.”
Canon has been aggressively filling out their RF mirrorless lens lineup, but there are still a fair number of missing options. It looks like the company will be turning their attention to wide angle options next, with four L Series professional primes likely to be released in the next year.
Fujifilm revolutionized the world of medium format a few years ago by introducing a line of cameras and lenses that offered all the benefits of the larger sensor size at prices that significantly undercut traditional medium format prices and even competed with upper-level full frame prices. The company is showing no sign of stopping, with more cameras and lenses to come next week, along with new X Series gear as well.
Supply chain issues have been plaguing electronics manufacturers for several months now, and camera companies are not immune to the problems caused by an inability to obtain adequate quantities of needed components. It seems as if Canon is the latest to be affected by the shortages, with several product canceled and slated to be “refreshed” at a later date.
The Canon EOS R3 has been quite well received, and though it has some top-level professional capabilities that help it compete with cameras like the Sony a1 and Nikon Z9, it is not meant to be Canon’s flagship mirrorless camera. That title will belong to the EOS R1, whenever it gets here, but when will that be?